British Transport Commission and British Railways Board: Southern Region: London...

AN 154

1956-1970

Reports, plans, minutes and memoranda from British Railways Southern Region and predecessor, relating to the proposed railway link between Heathrow Airport and Victoria Station via Feltham and Hounslow Heath.

The pieces in this series do not have a cohesive numbering system so they have been arranged in the following manner: Reports with associated plans, minutes of various bodies, memoranda and plans (originating first from British Railways and then from Sir William Halcrow and Partners).

Public Record(s)

English

• British Railways Board, Southern Region, 1963-1993
• British Transport Commission, Southern Region, 1947-1962

102 boxes, files and volumes

Subject to 30 year closure

Since the conception of Heathrow Airport, communications between it and Central London have been under near constant consideration. A number of railway routes via Feltham and thence across Hounslow Heath had been mooted by British Railway's Southern Region. In 1955, Messrs Rendel, Palmer and Trittan were asked to undertake a detailed investigation and their report was published in December 1956 with a supplementary report following in August 1957. These reports form the basis of this series with other subsequent reports (for routes over Southern Region) and plans.

None of the schemes was undertaken and the rail connection to the airport was provided in 1975 by the extension of London Transport's Piccadilly Line from Hounslow West to a station serving Terminals 1, 2 and 3. A further extension, together with a station serving Terminal 4, was opened in 1986. Parliamentary approval for a fast rail link from Paddington to Heathrow via the former Great Western Main Line was obtained in 1991.